Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Jun 2012

Vol. 770 No. 3

Topical Issue Debate

Domiciliary Care Allowance

Deputy Ann Phelan

I ask for an update on the position of domiciliary care allowance and the way it is to be administered. This is a monthly allowance which is paid to the parents or guardians of children under the age of 16 who have severe disabilities which require continuous care and attention.

I recently met three women to learn about the plight of their children. They also outlined to me the changes they would like to see in the way the domiciliary care allowance is administered and allocated. These women represent families in my constituency and across the country who are caring for their children as best they can in the face of cutbacks in almost every area.

Further consideration needs to be given to the way in which this allowance is administered, including the means by which children are assessed and the process through which decisions can be appealed. I welcome that the Minister for Social Protection increased the time allowed for preparation of appeals from 21 to 60 days earlier this year. I fear, however, that we may not be treating children who receive domiciliary care allowance in this country the same as children in other countries which operate similar allowance schemes. Reviews should be conducted by those who are most knowledgeable about the area, have experience of working with these children and are able to make the appropriate decisions in order to make life easier for those concerned. Any change to the system should be based the input of people on the ground, namely, the parents and guardians of these children, because they deal with the problems arising on a daily basis.

Matters that we may consider trivial or meaningless can amount to major events for those who are forced to cope in these circumstances. Domiciliary care allowance may not solve all these families' problems but at least it eases the burden of everyday life and allows them room to breathe. It must be noted however, that the number of children accessing the scheme has increased by more than 3,000 over a three year period. It is expected that expenditure this year would be in the region of €146 million. Any review of the scheme would be welcome for these reasons.

Deputy Simon Harris

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing us to raise the issue of the domiciliary care allowance. I welcome the review of the scheme because it is what parents and Deputies on all sides of this House have been seeking. It is clear that the current system is not working for many families. Officials can hide behind statistics but the parents who protest outside the gates or visit us in our clinics know that something has gone wrong.

It was politically courageous of the Minister, Deputy Burton, to heed the calls by parents and groups like the DCA Warriors by announcing a review. However, I ask for more detail on what the review will entail. It is vital that it starts from an acknowledgement that the current system needs to be overhauled rather than being seen as a box ticking exercise. I note that the Minister will appoint three representatives from NGOs to the review body. How are these representatives to be selected? It is vital that parents are allowed to play a key role. I draw Members' attention to the work of the DCA Warriors, the members of which are warriors for their children's rights.

The Secretary General of the Department of Social Protection gave a commitment to the Committee on Public Accounts that no family would lose its domiciliary care allowance while the review is ongoing. In other words, payments will not be ceased until the policy review is complete. I ask for clarification on this commitment. When will the process be concluded? Yesterday the Minister referred to consultations with parents. What mechanism will be used for the consultation process?

Deputy Regina Doherty

I welcome the announcement by the Minister, Deputy Burton, on a review of the domiciliary care allowance system. I ask for clarification on the role to be played by the NGO representatives. In the recent debate on this issue, speakers approved of the terms of reference for the review but stressed the importance of including parents' representatives. These are the people who have everyday experience of raising children with disabilities. The officials and the bureaucrats do not seem to understand the hidden problems that arise. This is borne out by the type of questions asked not only during the paper review but also subsequently in oral hearings.

In regard to the NGO representatives, who will they be, from what sectors will they be drawn and will they include parents of children who are in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance and have gone through the review process? Such parents could share their real life experiences of what is wrong with the process, as well as provide examples of the amazing achievement of living relatively normal lives despite the huge stresses faced on a daily basis by virtue of having children who are on the autistic spectrum or have Asperger syndrome or Tourette syndrome. When will the review commence, when will it end and how long will it take for the results to be announced?

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy John Perry)

I am taking this topical issue on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, who conveys her apologies to the Deputies for not being here to respond in person.

The domiciliary care allowance, DCA, is a monthly payment to the parent or guardian of a child with a disability so severe that he or she requires care, attention and supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal with the requirements of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.

The allowance is currently paid to over 24,000 parents and guardians in respect of 26,000 children at a cost of approximately €100 million in 2011, with the accompanying respite care grant costing a further €45 million. Parents in receipt of domiciliary care allowance also qualify for carer's allowance and household benefits, subject to fulfilling certain criteria, and some 40% of those on the scheme receive these payments. Those who receive the carer's allowance and household benefit package, in addition to domiciliary care allowance and respite care grant, each receive a total of almost €17,000 per annum from the Department.

The review of the domiciliary care allowance announced by the Minister in May is due to commence in early July. The working group to review the scheme will be chaired by Ms Sylvia Langford, retired director general in the former Office of the Minister for Children. The working group will include representatives from the Departments of Social Protection, Health, Children and Youth Affairs and Public Expenditure and Reform, as well as from the National Disability Authority. It will also include three representatives from key NGO organisations representing parents and guardians of children in receipt of the allowance along with other members with relevant expertise. The review will examine and report on the policy objectives and legal provisions underpinning the domiciliary care allowance scheme. It will review the current administrative, medical assessment and appeals processes underpinning the scheme, including an examination of the duration of review periods for the scheme based on the medical condition of the children involved and taking account of other priority demands on the medical resources of the Department.

The medical guidelines and the report of the expert medical group will be reviewed having regard to the three years operational experience since the scheme transferred to the Department. As part of the review, a consultation process with parents and representative groups will be undertaken to ensure parents and their representatives have an opportunity to make their concerns known in respect of the administration of the scheme. Reviews of individual claims are suspended while the review is ongoing. A report and recommendations emerging from the review are to be submitted by the end of December 2012.

In separate work, the availability of supports and services for children with disabilities will be mapped to see if there is an opportunity for greater linkage and consistency in the assessment for such support and services. This work will be led by officials in the Department, in conjunction with other relevant Departments and is expected to be completed in the autumn.

I am aware of the heroic efforts of parents to support their children and of the vital role played by the income supports paid by the Department in enabling people to live with dignity and to support their children. It remains my primary concern to ensure that parents of children who continue to meet the qualifying conditions continue to receive the allowance.

Deputy Ann Phelan

I warmly welcome the response of the Minister of State and I warmly congratulate the Minister for Social Protection on her plans for this review. One of the best things set to happen under the review is the fact that the new working group, which will be staffed by the most appropriate people, will meet parents and guardians of children. Legislators may form the law in Leinster House but the ordinary people must live with it. Quite often, legislators do not gauge people's feelings. This review affords people in receipt of domiciliary care allowance the opportunity to have their wishes heard and to make their opinions known. This is welcome. I am sure the new review will be carried out with zeal by the working group. I thank the Minister for Social Protection for the response. It is great to see that she listened and went a long way to give the parents what they wanted.

Deputy Simon Harris

One of the key points I asked for was clarification that no current claims will be suspended during the review. It is very important that the Minister of State has provided that commitment, on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection. It will be welcomed by thousands of parents in receipt of domiciliary care allowance who are fearful of the review.

I am still seeking an answer on the fact that three NGOs will be represented on the review group. Above and beyond consultation, that ensures there will be representatives of parents groups sitting around the table. I am eager to work out how they will be selected so they are real-life parents, as Deputy Regina Doherty suggested, who have been in receipt of domiciliary care allowance or are experiencing issues with it.

I welcome the fact the review will be completed in the autumn. The domiciliary care allowance is paid to children with extra care needs. The issue with the current system is that it does not recognise extra care needs that become apparent behind closed doors. When examining the application process and the application form, it is important to consider children with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder.

Deputy Regina Doherty

I join with my colleagues in welcoming the response. I do not want to be petulant but I will ask again about the three representatives bodies. Who will they be and what criteria will be used to select them? Given that a myriad of organisations represent some but not all parents of children with particular disabilities, we need to ensure the three NGOs chosen and the relevant people within the NGOs are representative of the people who have gone through the review process. I will not name any of the NGOs and I hope I am making sense. Otherwise, we will learn nothing except how it should be in a textbook. The reality of what people live through and the current description of the review process are poles apart. The merits of the review are marvellous. I concur with Deputy Ann Phelan that the Minister for Social Protection is incredibly brave for doing this as a response to the issues raised over the past couple of months. It is imperative that this is worthwhile and that, at the end of the process, people who walk the walk get to sit down and devise a new review process to make life easier for people in the future.

Deputy John Perry

Regarding Deputy Phelan's point on consultation, consultation with parents is important. The Minister for Social Protection has a clear determination to listen to and co-operate with the people most affected, namely, the parents. This will be a review with straight talking and action. Hopefully we will end up with results.

Deputy Harris's point, that no payments will be suspended, is correct. Consultation and evaluation of children with extra care needs is important. The Minister for Social Protection is determined to make a difference because this has been promised for quite a while. The review is meaningful and will come up with a clear plan of action. Deputy Regina Doherty referred to representative bodies. The Minister is open to suggestions and recommendations. She welcomes recommendations from each Deputy directly or via the Secretary General. It is important we get the views of parents and Members representing their constituents.

Deputy Regina Doherty referred to the parent representative bodies. If she contacts the Minister directly with suggestions on bodies that should be represented, I am sure the Minister will take her views on board.

Rent Supplement Scheme

Deputy Kevin Humphreys

The Minister is trying to reform the rent supplement scheme. Some of the changes made in the budget proved to be problematic for people availing of rent supplement in Dublin South-East and across the country. As part of the budget, new upper limits for the rent supplement scheme were published. They make it extremely difficult for applicants to find suitable accommodation across the country and particularly in Dublin 2 and Dublin 4, where there is strong market demand. The changes will also have a significant impact on those in my constituency who have found suitable accommodation that met the old criteria but which is no longer acceptable as it exceeds the new limits. Exceptional market demand in my constituency means the price of one-bedroom flats ranges from €700 to over €1,000 per month. This is far in excess of the rent supplement limit of €475 for all of Dublin.

The new limit represents a reduction of approximately 10% on the previous threshold and is well below the rental price of even a bed-sit or studio apartment in many areas of my constituency. If these changes are implemented, they will force people in receipt of rent supplement out of certain areas in Dublin, even though they may contain numerous social housing units. People will be driven from the areas in which they grew up and raised their own families and in which many of their loved ones still reside. Others may be forced into illegal arrangements whereby they agree to top up their rent by way of under-the-table payments to their landlords.

Nevertheless, I welcome and accept the necessity of the Government's efforts to reform the rent supplement scheme. It has grown into something far larger and more all-encompassing than was originally planned. I also welcome the moves to place the scheme under the joint control of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the local authorities, which will allow it to operate in a far more effective manner. Rent supplement should not function as a poverty trap and a disincentive to take up employment.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

As a consequence of campaigning by families currently in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance, the Government has agreed to review the threatened cuts to that payment. This development is most welcome.

An Ceann Comhairle

I ask the Deputy to deal with the issue under discussion.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I will deal with it as I see fit.

An Ceann Comhairle

You will not.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

Yes, I will.

An Ceann Comhairle

If the Deputy persists, he will not be called again. Domiciliary care allowance is a separate issue.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

I am making a point.

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy must deal with the issue under discussion.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

The point I am making is that in the same way that this group of people-----

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is totally out of order.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

-----put together an organised protest, people who are affected by the cuts to the rent supplement scheme are also getting organised. I hope the Government will respond in the same way to their campaigning efforts.

The effect of the reduction in rent caps is that people are being threatened with eviction and driven into the homelessness services. The Government claimed it would force landlords to reduce rents, but that is not happening. Instead, landlords are giving tenants notice when the latter indicate that a reduction in rent is being sought in accordance with the reduced rent supplement thresholds. People are being put in terrible situations. In Dún Laoghaire, for example, those who present themselves to the council to declare themselves homeless are being told they will be put in a hotel in Drumcondra or in Rathdrum in County Wicklow. Families are being separated, which is deplorable. In other cases, people are being forced, as Deputy Kevin Humphreys observed, to make under-the-counter payments, with the landlord lying to the authorities about the actual rent being charged. In addition, there are many anomalies in the system whereby foster children, for instance, are not recognised when assessing eligibility for rent supplement. In addition, people who take up part-time work are losing their allowance, which acts as a disincentive to employment.

I call on the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, to reverse the reductions in the rent caps. She should concentrate on doing what should be done, namely, taking some of the tens of thousands of vacant properties throughout the State into local authority control in order to meet people's housing needs. That is far preferable to forcing them into homelessness.

Deputy John Perry

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, who conveys her apologies to the Deputies for being unable to respond in person. The purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible tenants living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short-term assistance, not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer.

There are approximately 93,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement, for which the Government has provided a sum of €436 million for 2012. New maximum rent limits were introduced from 1 January 2012, following analysis of the most up-to-date market data. The emphasis of the rent limit review was to ensure maximum value for money for tenants and the taxpayer, while also ensuring that people on rent supplement are not priced out of the market for private rented accommodation. In the case of each county, all major urban population centres were tested as part of the review to ensure rent supplement applicants would be able to access temporary housing arrangements while seeking employment opportunities.

The revised rent limits are applicable to new rent supplement tenancies from January 2012 and existing tenancies on review. Latest figures show that approximately 23,000 claims have been awarded in 2012, indicating that it is possible to secure accommodation within the revised limits. The Department will continue to monitor rent levels throughout the country. Rent supplement is not generally paid where the rent charged for the accommodation is above the relevant maximum rent limit. However, departmental officials have flexibility to make payments above these limits where there are special housing needs related to exceptional circumstances. This would apply, for example, in the case of a person with a disability living in specially-adapted accommodation or homeless persons whose housing needs cannot be met within the standard terms of the rent supplement scheme.

Where rents are in excess of the limit, customers are being asked to contact their landlord and renegotiate the rent. Where landlords do not agree to reduce the rent within the limits, staff will discuss the options open to the tenant, including seeking alternative accommodation. Departmental officials dealing with rent supplement tenants will continue to ensure their accommodation needs are met. I assure the Deputies that there will no incidence of homelessness due to these changes.

Deputy Kevin Humphreys

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I ask him to convey to the Minister, Deputy Joan Burton, the need for greater flexibility. In some of the areas I represent, which include Ringsend, Sandymount, Pearse Street, Ranelagh and Rathmines, the very high levels of unemployment mean there is exceptional demand for the rent supplement scheme. Many of those seeking to rent homes in these areas grew up there and have family support nearby. It is simply not possible, however, to secure accommodation with the maximum allowance. Rent on a two-bedroom unit in parts of south-east Dublin ranges from €1,500 to €2,000 per month, which exceeds even the limit for two adults and three children under the scheme, which is €950.

An effective reform would be to transfer control of the scheme to the local authorities, with a differential rent scheme whereby the council makes up the difference with the help of an allocation from central government. Such an initiative would allow people to continue living within their own communities and also prevent rent supplement from serving as a poverty trap.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

If the Minister of State's response reflects the best that the Government is prepared to do, there will inevitably be protests by those affected by these changes. The reality is that in many parts of Dublin - not just Dublin 2 and 4 but also Dún Laoghaire, much of south County Dublin and elsewhere - and in other cities such as Galway and Waterford, it is simply not possible to secure suitable accommodation within the new rent caps, particularly for families with two or more children. Before I came into the Chamber for this debate, I checkeddaft.ie to see what was available in Dún Laoghaire for the maximum threshold of €950. There is not a single three-bedroom house available for that price. The caps must be raised if people are to secure accommodation that fits their needs.

Despite the Minister of State's claims to the contrary, people certainly are being forced into homelessness. I brought a person to Leinster House last Thursday who is homeless as a result of the reduction in the rent allowance cap. This person is now separated from two of her children and is sleeping on a sofa in her grandmother's house, in which an elderly and ill great-grandmother also resides. People should not be forced into such desperately overcrowded conditions. Other people are being told to go to hotels in Drumcondra even though their children go to school in Dún Laoghaire. That is simply not acceptable. Will the Minister of State ask the Minister for Social Protection to raise the caps as a short-term measure in order to ensure people can find affordable accommodation? In the longer term, some of the thousands of vacant properties throughout the country should be placed under the control of the local authorities and used to provide secure, affordable housing where people will not have the threat of eviction hanging over their heads.

Deputy John Perry

The new rent limits were introduced in January 2012 and are applicable to all new rent supplement applicants and to existing recipients upon review. Rent limits were previously adjusted effective from June 2010. The purpose of the review is to ensure availability of accommodation and supplement tenancies, but not to provide rent supplements to tenants with access to housing in all areas. Approximately 23,000 rent supplement claims have been awarded this year up to 15 June. Those claims include new claims, change of address and change of landlord cases. Where a claim is under review, which was Deputy Kevin Humphreys's point, and the rent is above the new maximum limit, the customer is being asked to contact the landlord to renegotiate the rent. Where a landlord does not agree to reduce the rent to the new rates, departmental officials will discuss options open to the tenant, up to and including seeking alternative accommodation. Departmental guidelines to officers administering the rent supplement state that where negotiation with the landlord fails, the then rent supplement may continue to be paid for a period of up to 13 weeks at a higher rate. However, once the lease has expired the tenant will be expected - it is important to put this on the record-----

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett

There are people sitting in the Public Gallery today who are victims of this situation.

Deputy John Perry

Departmental officials dealing with rent supplement tenants will continue to ensure that their accommodation needs are met. There will be no incidence of homelessness. The Department's intention is to return rent supplement to its original purpose as a short-term income. This will be achieved through the rental accommodation scheme and the Government's new housing policy. Since 2005, local authorities have transferred a total of 39,910 rent supplement receipts to the rental accommodation scheme and other social housing offices.

Flood Prevention Measures

Deputy Barry Cowen

I wish to join with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and Deputy Troy who, during Leaders' Questions this morning, commended local authorities and the emergency services working on the flooding situation in Cork and other affected areas. I understand that the national co-ordination group for emergency management has met and is working closely with local services in the affected areas.

I sought to raise the issue earlier this week and in the meantime I have met with the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, whose responsibilities include the Office of Public Works. I also met with other TDs yesterday whose constituencies have been affected by flooding along the River Shannon, including parts of Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon and east Galway.

Summer flooding along the Shannon has become more frequent in recent years, but never has it been more severe than in recent weeks. The Shannon Callows traditionally flood between October and April, hence farmers rely heavily on dry summers for the production of silage and grazing ground.

In the week beginning Monday, 11 June, Met Éireann issued a weather alert warning of severe rainfall and floods. Continuous rain on Thursday and Friday resulted in flooding on lands traditionally used for grazing. The deluge has meant that some silage-bearing ground is being used for grazing, resulting in a loss of winter feed, while some farmers are using winter feed for cattle which should be grazing. Many farmers now fear that they may have to sell stock to compensate for this loss. In some cases, individual farmers have up to 58 acres under water. As a result of the flooding between Banagher and Athlone, thousands of acres have been destroyed and are under water.

Many people say that all this could have been avoided. The bodies which have authority to agree to open sluice-gates include the ESB, Waterways Ireland and the OPW. Yet in this instance, it was Saturday before the gates at Lusmagh and Meelick were opened. The Minister of State's officials confirmed yesterday that no specific protocol is currently in place to oblige these authorities to open sluice-gates, despite the issuance of severe weather warnings.

Why must we wait for the damage to be done before acting in this regard? It seems unbelievable that in this day and age such a catastrophe could be allowed to happen, considering the warnings that were put in place.

I acknowledge the Minister of State's commitment to a meeting next Tuesday of all relevant stakeholders in an effort to resolve this issue. However, the Minister of State should support the concept of an agreed protocol in consultation with the IFA, landowners and farming authorities. Such a protocol should be put in place as soon as possible. In that way, as soon as such a weather alert is received, the relevant authorities would have to act appropriately by opening sluice-gates, thus avoiding the decimation of family incomes and livelihoods as we have recently witnessed.

The Minister of State should also put in place a compensation package as was done two years ago. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine should ask his officials to ascertain and quantify the losses in conjunction with farming organisations. A mechanism should then be agreed to replenish feed to an equivalent cost for farmers who have been affected.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Deputy Brian Hayes)

I thank the Cheann Comhairle for selecting this matter. I also thank Deputy Cowen for raising the issue. At the outset, I agree with his remarks on the emergency services which did sterling work in parts of the country both last night and this morning to help citizens to deal with the appalling flooding events, particularly in the south west. I agree with him that work needs to be recognised in this House.

This topic gives me the opportunity to address the problems with flooding on the Shannon Callows. Having extensively toured the Callows area last year, accompanied by public representatives, IFA representatives and local residents, to see the situation for myself and to talk through the issues, I am conscious of the serious impact both on farming and the environment in the area due to flooding.

I recognise that the Shannon Callows is an important asset to the farming community. Traditional farming practices are recognised as contributing to the economic and social management of this unique area. I accept that the recent pattern of flooding to the Callows has caused extensive hardship to many members of the community.

In general, this summer's flooding arises from the restricted capacity of the River Shannon at this location. Flooding can occur as a result of large flows from either the River Suck, the upper Shannon from Lough Ree or a combination of both. The inflow from the River Brosna also contributes to flooding in this area.

June has been a very wet month. Although there are still two days left in the month, it is already the wettest June on record at most of the stations in the Shannon catchment. Some of these stations also experienced their highest or second highest ever daily rainfall for June. As a general indication, rainfall in this area has been between two and three times the long-term average for June. We have therefore suffered a major problem this month because of the rainfall.

Due to the bout of heavy and prolonged rainfall in early June water levels in the Shannon have risen, particularly in the Callows area. I have reviewed an initial report on the impact of this flooding event and the photos provided have given me a graphic appreciation of the scope of lands affected.

I have been proactively monitoring the situation. As Deputy Cowen said, I took the opportunity of organising a meeting in Leinster House with local elected representatives in the affected constituencies along the Shannon basin. Following that meeting, I have instructed that another meeting with local representatives be organised shortly with senior representatives of both Waterways Ireland and the ESB in attendance.

Waterways Ireland is one of the six North-South implementation bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement in 1999. Waterways Ireland has responsibility for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of inland navigable waterways, principally for recreational purposes.

Operational control of water flows and levels on the Shannon is a matter for both Waterways Ireland and the ESB. The Office of Public Works has no direct responsibility in this regard.

I will examine this issue closely, as to whether or not statutory responsibility should reside within our Department. It is precious little help to the Deputy and his constituency colleagues if we are the lead agency but cannot set water levels across the Shannon, which is currently the statutory position. I recognise that is a contradiction and so I intend to examine it closely.

Deputy Barry Cowen

I thank the Minister of State for his response and I acknowledge his efforts in keeping public representatives from the Shannon area informed of the progress he envisages. I seek a commitment from the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, that this process is being initiated with the stated objective of formulating a protocol which, in the event of a weather warning being issued by Met Éireann, will set in train a response which includes consultation with the farming community and, in turn, a release of the gates so as to negate the effect such torrential rainfall would have on these areas.

Will the Minister of State commit in this House, where as he stated it is appropriate to do so, to consult with his colleagues, in particular the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and request that he, in conjunction with his officials and the farming authorities, ascertain the losses incurred with a view to bringing forward a package which would compensate these farmers and their families in that regard? For farmers to consider selling stock at this stage is incomprehensible in terms of the farm management process in any given year.

Will the Minister of State commit to the establishment of a protocol to ensure this does not happen again? I am not suggesting this only happened in recent weeks for the first time. I acknowledge it has happened in the past. It is incumbent on us to resolve this issue. Also, will the Minister of State undertake to consult with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and request that he, in consultation with his officials, would seek to bring forward a package which would meet with the approval of the farming community?

Deputy Brian Hayes

My understanding is that there is a protocol in place between Waterways Ireland and the ESB. However, we need to quickly establish the veracity of that protocol. The view locally is that it has not worked. I have no difficulty with the OPW being part and parcel of that protocol, if necessary. This is not rocket science. It should be the case that farmers in the Callows area are alerted by text from the public authorities, be they local authorities, the ESB, Waterways Ireland or the OPW, to severe oncoming weather. However, that has not happened. As far as I am aware it has happened in places such as Gort, where a protocol was put in place between the OPW and Galway County Council. If it can be done in Gort it can be done in respect of the Callows. There is no reason this cannot be done through the social media. I agree with the Deputy that it is important that protocol is put in place and that it is robust in terms of getting information to farmers, in particular when severe weather is forecast. I will take up that matter with the two other agencies involved.

On compensation, I do not want to give hope to the Deputy that a compensation package could be put in place tomorrow. It would be dishonest of me to do that. However, I will take up the matter with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Deputy Cowen mentioned that a similar package was put in place two years ago. I will investigate the extent of that package. I acknowledge the severe economic difficulties which faces farmers along the Callows area as a result of this flooding. While as stated by the Deputy this is a historic problem, the situation has worsened as a result of changing weather patterns in this country and climate change. I will engage with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the potential of putting in place a compensation package. In undertaking to engage with the Minister, I do not wish to give the Deputy false hope that a compensation will be put in place tomorrow. It would be dishonest of me to do so.

Local Authority Housing

Deputy Catherine Byrne

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue. I can assure the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, that there are no constituents of mine in the Visitors Gallery and as such I will not be playing to the gallery when speaking on this issue.

I am concerned at the current housing situation in the city, in particular the local authority housing units which remain vacant owing to a lack of funding for maintenance crews. I currently have 100 files on my desk, and many more in the filing cabinets in my office, in respect of people on the city council housing list, many of whom have medical or welfare priority but have remained on the housing list for years. Many people with medical priority have been told it will be two years or more before they can be accommodated. They have been told there are no units available, yet in Dublin South-Central, which I represent, there are currently 190 units-voids, 107 of which are in need of short term repair, 21 of which are new properties and 62 of which are voids requiring long-term repair. There are 48 units in Kilmainham, where I live there, 85 in the south-west inner city, 26 in Crumlin and 30 in Ballyfermot. There are plenty of units available.

I welcome what is happening in St. Theresa's Gardens and Dolphin House in terms of regeneration and compliment the Minister of State in terms of her work on putting together a package to improve many of the units in Dolphin House, some of which are not habitable. Many of the aforementioned units are empty because the city council's budget is limited and it does not have the manpower or funding necessary to carry out the repair work. I am fully aware that city council maintenance crews are already stretched to the limit and that even carrying out day-to-day repair work has become troublesome for them. It is impossible for the council to further stretch the small resources it has.

In my view, this situation has reached crisis point. It is shocking that some of these houses and flats have been lying empty for up to a year when there are so many people in my area in need of accommodation. As I stated, some of my constituents are already on the housing list, others are homeless or are living with families in overcrowded conditions which are unsuitable to their needs and many others are in rented accommodation, much of which is in a poor state of repair. I have been told by the Minister on many occasions there we have no money. However, the State is paying rent supplement to private landlords. As stated previously, 94,000 people in this country are in receipt of rent supplement, 4,000 of whom live in the Dublin 8, 10 and 12 regions. Rent supplement will cost the Government €436 million this year. I acknowledge that the figure in this regard was much higher last year and I credit the Minister, Deputy Burton, on the reduction achieved this year. However, that amount of money would go a long way towards addressing our social housing needs. It is a massive amount to be handing over to private landlords when there are plenty of empty houses and apartments throughout my constituency and in Dublin, which are owned by the State. We need to take a more sensible approach to this problem.

There are many families who are living in poor accommodation and need to be rehoused. Some of them only require transfer to larger accommodation. There are many flat complexes in the constituency I represent, many of which are past their sell-by date owing to a lack of maintenance, which it is impossible to have addressed.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Jan O’Sullivan)

I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this important issue.

In accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the social housing stock, including the carrying out of planned maintenance programmes and pre-letting repairs, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority, in this case, Dublin City Council. Housing maintenance works, including pre-letting repairs, are funded directly by local authorities from their own resources, including from rental income and receipts from the disposal of properties and sales of houses to tenants. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to locally identified needs and available resources.

The Deputy will be aware that the adoption of the local authority annual budget is a reserved function. That said, my Department provides substantial capital funding to local authorities to support a wide range of measures aimed at improving the overall quality and standard of social rented dwellings. These measures include a regeneration measure for large social housing estates and flat complexes, an estate-wide remedial works scheme, a retrofitting measure aimed at improving the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses and grants for the provision of extensions or adaptations to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability and so on.

Given the constraints on capital budgets for new stock, my Department is now placing greater emphasis on local authority social housing improvement works programmes and on the early return of vacant units to productive use. This year, I allocated some €145 million to local authorities for works to improve the social housing stock, €90 million of which is being provided in respect of the national regeneration programme, a programme which is of particular importance for the physical and social regeneration of deprived areas in Dublin city. A total of €27 million is being provided in respect of 45 estate-wide remedial works schemes in 26 local authorities with a further €10 million earmarked for extensions and adaptations to properties throughout all local authorities.

It is now more important than ever to ensure the existing stock of local authority housing is available and in fit condition to meet housing need. Beginning in 2011, the Department required local authorities to focus the retrofitting programme on bringing vacant stock back into productive use. The 2012 programme will build on the achievements of 2011 when more than 2,600 vacant units were refurbished and made available for re-letting. While local authorities may undertake work on tenanted properties, there is a continuing focus on making vacant properties available for re-letting as quickly as possible. Grants of up to €15,000 per house are generally available for improving the fabric of the house with a further grant of up to €3,000 where additional essential works are needed. Over the course of 2010 and 2011 a total of 4,492 houses were improved. This year a total of €18 million is being provided for improving the quality and energy efficiency of older housing stock around the country.

In the case of Dublin city, I am making more than €62 million available this year to support the various housing programmes in the city council area. This includes more than €40 million for regeneration projects. This funding will meet ongoing commitments in respect of the planning and construction of projects in Ballymun and at a number of locations in the city referred to by Deputy Byrne, including St. Michael's Estate, St. Teresa's Gardens, Dolphin House, O'Devaney Gardens, Croke Villas and Dominick Street.

In addition to the substantial allocation for regeneration works, I will also provide €6 million in 2012 for city council's remedial works programme. This programme provides capital support for estate-wide works to improve the fabric of houses, improve layout and access, address issues such as anti-social behaviour and, where possible, address issues of social exclusion. For example, Liberty House and Bunratty Road Maisonettes will benefit from this allocation. I allocated a further €2.9 million to the city council for energy efficiency and retrofitting works designed to bring vacant stock back into productive use.

Deputy Catherine Byrne

I welcome the budget that has been allocated and with every bone in my body I believe the Minister of State's heart is in the right place. However, properties in the Dublin City Council area are not being put back on the market quickly enough. People contact me on a regular basis to say they are aware of houses on a particular road which are boarded up. It is very frustrating for any public representative to think such houses are out there. With my hand on my heart I can state a number of properties in my constituency have been vacant for more than a year and nothing has happened to them. They need to be looked into. The local authority needs to be challenged by the Minister of State with responsibility for housing to ensure the budget which has been allocated is used immediately. This morning I spoke to the housing manager in one of the offices who told me he cannot obtain the funding to put 27 houses in his area back on the market. We are losing a huge amount of potential rent from people and we are giving out a huge amount in rent allowance.

I also have a question on the units in NAMA. I come from the inner city and I am completely taken aback by the number of apartment blocks which remain vacant with nobody living in them. I know from looking at many of them that little work needs to be done to put them on the market. Does the Minister of State have any plans to work with NAMA to do something with these complexes and make them available to local authorities so we might be able to house some of those on the waiting list and get some people out of rented accommodation which is inadequate for their needs?

Deputy Jan O’Sullivan

To reply directly to Deputy Byrne on this issue, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and I met NAMA recently and we are engaging with it on an ongoing basis. Originally it committed to more than 2,000 units, some of which are suitable and some are not. We will continue to engage with it until we have approximately this number of units for social housing.

I take the point that we must continuously examine ways to improve how we use the money we have. In all honesty I cannot see us having extra money in the next year or two. We must target and ensure efficiency in the money we have and ensure it is well spent. Deputy Byrne has made some very good points and I will certainly take them on board.